I had to do it again because I just do. 5 stars why go to other bars. I'd rather drink an ipa on…read moreMars. Smoke cigs and watch passing cars.

Coming from the Craft beer capital I made many efforts to try local and when eating nextdoor I…read morecould not resist a chalkboard that said 50+ beers. Most placed I'd been to had small selections of their own beer, but to me you have to really diversity to get to that 50 plateau and I was right. 50+ beers from all over (even back home). Steady changing selections of all craft, some local, but as varied as anyone can get around here. It's dark, small, warm, cozy, inviting, but ultimately weird. Hipster AF. I was glad to see some classic cocktails on the menu which I also tried, but there is a weird bottle neck at the chalkboard as it narrows to the bar opening which makes ordering just awkward if the bar itself isn't open. They do an interesting thing asking for your name instead of tabbing you via a card to hold, but that also doesn't seem to be a Canadian thing like it is back in the States. My pisco sour was excellent, fresh juice, fresh egg white, well shaken, though I'm more a fan of metal on metal and I'm starting to think kold-draft is a luxury as many places simply don't have it. Kold draft or even 2+ inch molded ice has a very unique clang that I like. Ultimately bad if your shaking with glass though. My friends had a few lagers and ales which Hamilton is more known for than IPA's. We sat at the back where it was quite and we could hear ourselves instead of shouting over people. They have board games which I imagine is great fun and even a back patio which I imagine goes off in the summer. The staff are friendly and pretty knowledgeable, but I'd have like to seem a little more eye in the sky control, in that regard it's more barista than bar. On any given night here you'll hear conversations of beard oil, compost, prius', and other hipster topics. It's quietly romantic and dark so no one will bother you whatever your opinions are. If a Portland hipster mated with a San Francisco hipster, The Brain would be their baby.

Last night I went to the Sunday night Karaoke by myself. As a woman this can be a daunting…read moreadventure. The karaoke was great. What was even better though was the service, thoughtfulness and care of the staff and security. I felt safe and heard and that speaks volumes to a culture that can be creepy when drinking is involved. I highly recommend if you have nothing to do on a Sunday night and are a single woman looking for a good time- these people will look after you if you ask, even if you don't.

I mean, listen, I don't know what's going on here lol. We were there on a Thursday night after…read moredinner to have more beers and play some games. Some games would eat your coins and not play games, others wouldn't take coins and you could play forever (I had to voluntarily withdraw from a buck hunting game). We enjoyed the ambience and the DJ that night was actually quite good! The place was kind of empty though (not that we minded). The drinks were cheap, staff were solid, bathrooms were incredible (!???). They have all you can eat wings on Thursdays and their kitchen is open till midnight. Definitely down to go visit again and hopefully many of the arcade games will be fixed up as that was a real bummer.

Stopped in because the patio looked inviting after an afternoon of walking the neighbourhood…read morerunning errands. The advertised beer special was not available, sold out, but the waitress allowed a substitution. Ordered the steak n guinness pie and was surprised that it was indeed a meat pie, not just stew topped with pastry. Disappointed that there was no steak n kidney pie. The meat pie was typical pub grub. Not a lot of choice for someone that's lactose intolerant. Bathroom was clean, the staff were friendly and efficient. I stayed on the patio except to use the bathroom. Reasonably priced, would visit again if in the area.

This will be a confusing review. Been wanting to come check this place out for a while now knowing…read morethat they have live music everyday. Had some time to kill before a show so decided to check it out. Cool little place, felt comfy and friendly with what seemed like regulars occupying the bar area. Server was friendly, a lovely young lady singing, and our drink order was taken promptly. Then it got weird. Beers took a super long time to arrive even though the bar wasn't too busy. Food order was also taken quickly and took a super long time to arrive. Servers shift was done, we paid and were told a new server would be taking care of us. That never happened. As our glasses sat empty, the Mr. went up to the bar to grab another round. For some strange reason 2 beers at the bar were almost $2 more than what we just paid. That's not cool. The nachos were really good (although $4 for the very tiny side of chili was overpriced) beer was cold, but the service was disappointing. For that reason I'm not sure if I will be returning.

Great people, great staff.. don't bother with the Scott D. review. I am not management, owner, or…read morein any manner do I have a vested monetary interest in this establishment. But... I was there the night in question that is detailed in the post below.. and frankly the "person" involved provoked the issue which resulted in a heated disagreement. Lilly is a top notch lady, cares about her friends and takes exception to certain "person(s)" taking advantage of them or causing problems. As to physical violence, I have never been witness to any such thing by Lilly, whom I have known for years.. If you want to have a fun time with good music and great food, go on down and see Lilly, Holly, Sue and the crew. You will not be disappointed and you might just make a few new friends... tell them the tall cool drink of tequila sent ya.. can't promise you a discount or anything, just a good time.

Not a good place to go...The owner (Lilly) is violent and gets into your personal business. I have…read moreseen it on several occasions and was a victim of it myself. I seen her listen in on a conversation and didn't like it...she got up, started to hit the guy all the way out the back door. He was just sitting and talking to another guy about nothing really. She went as far as telling everyone in the whole bar that I was a piece of shit and a con artist! Again, just minding my own business and she was listening in and jumped all over me. NOT A GOOD PLACE AT ALL!

Best cocktail bar in the Hammer. Superb martinis custom made. Don't hesitate to ask for a…read morecustomized cocktail or order something adventurous.

First time here. It was a pretty busy Saturday night. When you first walk in, there's a long bar…read moreand standing tables. Walked to the back and you're in a lounge type area with two sofas (more of an intimate setting) and kept walking to another area where there was 2 long tables and a small table. All tables were occupied, but one table we were able to sit at the end as only 2 other people were occupying the table. Drinks were alright for the price! The service could have been better. We weren't offered any water ?? And our server only came by to check on us like 2-3 times we were there. He recommended the Uptown Girl to me and it was okay. I wanted a cocktail that was more sweet, but the one I had was a bit too bitter for me. A nice hole in the wall kind of place but I don't think I'd go back.

This was my first time visiting this place. They have a nice terrace set up so we were glad to have…read morea seat outside. This is exclusively a brewery so they do not seem to serve food themselves but have other restaurant pop ups and encourage to bring your own food! To know more about their pop ups follow their instagram. We were excited for the Oyster popup from Island Oysters paired with a laza kombucha and a baby thunder pale ale. The service was attentive although note you need to order at the bar.

I'm unhappy with the service I received there. I had been give a fifty dollar gift card to…read moreBrothers Brewing Company and they only provided four cans of beer (or I could sit down and drink four pints by myself in the middle of the afternoon - that was the other option). For a retirement gift, my boss had bought $50 gift certificates to six micro breweries in Guelph, which has been great. We've had dinner at some, but at others, I have just bought cans of beer to go (usually I put in a bit more cash and get 18 cans). This place must not have had a proper gift certificate, because I just had a "pint card" (4 beers value - $34) and the balance was rung up as 2 X 473mL lagers, for about $50. I explained to the server that I was sure this was meant to represent a $50 gift card and she said it was just a pint card and my boss must have drank the two tall boys there (while touring around Guelph to get gift cards at 2pm). Anyway, I finally took the 4 cans, which were $34 plus tax, although for $30, you could get 6 cans. I'm probably going on too long about this, but I feel like I was ripped off and this is my only way to deal with it, emotionally. Anyway, I will never go back there again, and please, never buy a gift certificate from this establishment.

Favourite pub! Great food, service and overall ambiance…read more And in the summer, love the patio even more!

So as a regular customer in the later evening onna Tuesday night... gather with friends after dart…read moreleague play for a couple beverages, and commaraderie after a competitive league competition. Upon entering the establishment shortly after 12am, I had to excuse myself to get past two patrons loitering on the front door steps inhibiting the entrance to get in. "Excuse me I said ", the one gentleman stepped aside saying sorry, no worries I replied to him. Apparently when I opened the door to enter my backpack brushed the other gentleman in the chest. Didn't actually realize until I was through the entrance, looked back as he was clearly overreacting to the incidental contact upon myself entering. I entered the restaurant, dropped my knapsack and went back to apologize to the gentleman. Words were specifically, " sorry my backpack bumped you went i entered, i think you kind of overreacted. " The other gentleman who actually moved when i excused myself passing them, got all indignant, belligerent, and agitated followed me into the restaurant looking for a confrontation. I actually unaware of this as it was unfolding was caughg off guard as my friends intervened what was going to be a physical altercation. It was actually, said gentleman was physical with my friend who was having my back, continued to be aggressivd. Taunted me, still being aggressive...upon which time the bar staff asked 'ME' to leave... are you kidding me i said, I'm not the person loitering on the front step, blocking patron and then getting aggressive abd starting an altercation. Not at all pleased with how the staff dealt with this. Total bs. I've been attending the Poacher establishment for close to 40 years. They just lost a huge amount of respect in my eyes. I will be sharing this incident with many friends and potential customers. Discouraging supporting this establishment. Not happy one little bit.